Hey, is anypawdy out there? It’s me, RaenaBelle. That’s right, I’s here fur this weeks Service Cat Monday cuz it’s mostly ‘bout me. Let me get that business stuffs outta the way and we’ll get right to it. The followin’ post will be written in human English fur translator and reader ease. Our Trainin’ posts aren’t meant to be a step by step training manual but rather, Tips/Tricks/Techniques that mommy has used/developed throughout her many years of training animals, cats in purrticular. Training is all about Repetition and Rewards and takes time. Ifin you have any questions or topics you would like us to cover, purrlease leave them in the comments section or send us an email. Ifin askin’ about behavioral issues, purrlease be as specific as pawssible. And, ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, you can ketch up by clicking the links below.
It’s been a while since we’ve written about my training efforts, and we’ve gotten a few questions lately asking how my driving is going. So, we thought we’d take today to talk a bit about it. But, keep those questions coming, we’re really enjoying the topics ya’ll are throwing at us. The last time we posted about my driving lessons, I was doing pretty good, but not yet driving too far. You can read parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 by clicking the links below titled, Raena and the Wheelchair. Of course mommy’s continued to train me even tho’ we’ve not written any posts about it. Remember, Training is all about Repetition and Rewards. And remember, we can’t stress enough, Training doesn’t take a day off.
Here’s our question for today. “What do you do when you’re training a kitty to use a piece of equipment, and that equipment breaks?” Yep, mommy’s wheelchair broke. Seems a motor is out and the chair will do nothing more than go around and around in circles. I certainly can’t drive that. Mommy can’t even drive it, so what’s she supposed to do? Thankfully, because mommy and me didn’t take a day off, I’s can drive the wheelchair quite well now. Anyways, the first thing one must do is get a replacement or repair as soon as possible. But, anyone who has ever worked with Medicare knows that soon takes on a whole new meaning.
Mommy called a repairman as soon as the chair broke. He’s a new one to us, but looks like he’s going to be a good one. He came out the very next day to check it out. Mommy’s current chair has been a piece of junk since the day she got it, and he explained it’s because the chair’s about the cheapest one on the market. After looking it over and getting some information from it, he informed mommy that Medicare won’t pay to repair it, so we have to go through the channels and get a new one. So, we have an appointment today with mommy’s doctor for the evaluation to get the paperwork started.
In the meantime, mommy will continue to work with me on things like turning the chair on and off and sitting and standing properly when driving. Even though the chair doesn’t move, I will continue to learn to bite the joystick and hold. It’ll go something like this: Mommy and me will sit in the wheelchair and I’ll position myself on her right leg next to the joystick. Mommy will say, “On”, and I will stand with my front paws on the arm of the chair and push the power button. I might just press the horn too. Ya’ know, just for good measure. And then mommy will say, “Let’s go”, and I’ll bite down on the joystick and push it forward. We won’t be going anywhere, because mommy will have slipped her hand up and turned the chair off. After about a minute, mommy will slip her hand back up to that power button and turn the chair back on, and then say to me, “Off”. And, naturally, I will put my paw back on that power button and turn the chair off. We’ll repeat this scenario for about 15 minutes once a day. Of course, I will get lots of extra love after each step and at the end of the Training session.
It is a bit confusing to me that we’re not actually moving, but, these initial steps are more important than the actual driving. And, as long as mommy’s happy, I feel good about it and want to continue to please mommy each and every time. And hopefully, we’ll have a new chair sooner than later. So, even if the piece of equipment is broken, there are Training steps you can continue with. Always remember, Training is ongoing for life.
We can’t have a Service Cat posty without a foto of sis Dezi too.
Well, I’s gonna call it a wrap for today so we can get ready to go. I’s gotta help mommy find the raincoat fur mine’s stroller since it’s stormin’ outside. ‘Member to leave your questions or topics in the comments section. And, ifin you’ve missed any of the posts in this series, just click the links below to get caught up.
Till the next time…………………………………..Be Blest!!!
Luvs and Hugs and Kitty Kisses
RaenaBelle and Deztinee
Service Cats U.S. 
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